Monthly Archives: October 2012

What happens when you take taco toppings and toss them over nutty and wholesome brown or wild rice?

A delicious and healthy take on the classic Chipotle burrito bowl.

I usually make some sort of rift on tacos at least once a week because it is one of the only meals that the whole family consistently enjoys.

I always put all the toppings out on the counter and let them customize to their heart’s content. Two of my family can’t eat poultry of any kind so I always saute some ground beef combined with taco seasoning, black beans and corn for them and I also usually include some chicken or tofu for the rest of the family. Easy and delicious.

This isn’t really a recipe as much as it is an idea. Basically, all you need is the toppings that you would normally use for tacos (i.e. sour cream, cheese, guacamole, ground beef, salsa, lettuce, black beans) and a big pot of whole-grains (rice, barley, quinoa etc). Then all you do is top your rice and eat (though a squeeze of lime and a handful of cilantro stirred into your rice during the last few minutes of cooking would certainly brighten the flavors).

Taco salad has now transitioned from summer to fall. It’s just that simple 🙂

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Homemade pizza is one of the most under-embraced dinners in the entire U.S.

Certainly, it is easier to just pick up the phone and order a couple of pies, but does it make your kitchen smell amazing, satisfy your craving for pizza with wholesome ingredients or have your family begging you to make pizza night a weekly occurrence?

So why do we avoid making our own homemade pizza? I will give you one reason–the crust. Making a homemade pizza crust is feared by many home cooks way more then it needs to be. Basically, there are two keys to a good crust. You have to plan ahead a little bit (most pizza dough rises for a little over an hour and a half) and you have to have a trusted recipe that you know will turn out perfect fluffy results every time.

So, while I can’t plan ahead for you, I can provide you with a very good pizza dough recipe that makes a delicious crust with items you probably already have in your pantry. Try this recipe as soon as possible! You will be very thankful.

Also, while on the topic of pizza, lets talk toppings. You can top you pizza with whatever you have in your fridge. Just lay down a layer of tomato or pesto sauce and top with and assortment of cheese, veggies/meat. For the pizza in the picture I topped it with herbed tomato sauce, sauteed onions, green onions, a blend of leftover cheeses I had in the fridge and some leftover ground sirloin. Transformation 🙂

In the bowl of a stand-up mixer combine the yeast, salt and honey. Add 1 cup of warm water (not too hot it should still be comfortable to touch). Stir and allow to stand 5 minutes or until “foamy.” Add the oil and slowly mix in the 2 1/4 cups of flour about a 1/4 cup at a time. Let the machine run until you have a supple dough (add a little more flour as needed). Lightly oil a large bowl and turn dough into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a slightly warm draft-free place for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Pre-heat your oven to 450 and place an upside down baking sheet or pizza stone onto one of the upper racks. Punch dough down and transfer to large piece of lightly floured parchment paper (the paper should be the size that you want your final crust to be). Shape dough into desire shape (I just pressed it out from the middle until I had a large square). Top with desired toppings and transfer the whole sheet of parchment paper with the pizza on top onto either your pre-heated upside down baking sheet or pizza stone (I can’t tell you how many crusts I ruined during transfer before I learned this trick). Bake 20 minutes or more until the pizza is brown and bubbly. Allow to stand 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

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Food trucks are becoming so popular in Columbus, OH. There are even specific tours that focus on these trucks (aka the taco food truck tour). Personally, I haven’t been brave enough to commit to eating at 4-5 food trucks in one afternoon. However, I love the concept and have wanted to eat at one for a while. That is why I was really excited when we got to attend a presentation this past week by the managers of “That Food Truck.”

The evening was spent talking about how the owners began their business, sampling some of their utterly delicious food and taking a tour of “That Food Truck.” I really learned a lot and was impressed by how much time and work goes into its operation.

My favorite recipe/sample of the evening involved a chunk of ciabatta sitting a pool of rich black mole and draped with apple slivers and queso fresco. Unfortunately, the recipe is based off of Rick Bayless’ black mole and requires an extended simmer time as well as over 20 different ingredients! So, while I may not be able to re-create the exact recipe, I now have two new goals; find a simple yet delicious mole recipe and eat at more food trucks (I have been missing out!)

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I planned soup for dinner tonight. Now this would be just fine, if today was as chilly as it has been the past few days. However, it was not. It was a rather warm (but not unwelcome) 70 degrees!

I wasn’t altogether please with the soup either (outside temperature aside). It was a potato-broccoli soup that in my mind was going to be stunningly creamy and deliciously thick. It was neither. But that’s ok because the bread I made to go with it kind of made up for it.

I have been making this bread for a couple of years. I love it with soup because it has a sturdy dense crumb that holds up when dipped. It is also really healthy–made with almost all whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of steel cut oats. The best part? It comes together in 10 minutes. The perfect warm and slightly sweet accompaniment to a steaming bowl of creamy and deliciously thick soup (or not in my case). Enjoy!

Brown Soda Bread (Cooking Light)

11.25 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 2 1/2 cups)

2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup steel-cut oats (such as McCann’s)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon wheat germ

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups low-fat buttermilk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Coat a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, and coat with cooking spray.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 6 ingredients (through salt). Combine buttermilk and egg; add to flour mixture. Stir just until combined.

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As the weather gets crisper I am finally able to go through my recipe box and dig out some “old friends.” I have wanted to make this dish all summer but it is a recipe that really needs to be savored in the cooler months due to it’s ability to increase your body temp by 1000 degrees (a good thing on a cold autumn night but not so great when the cicadas are out and it is a humid 95 degrees).

The recipe itself is actually very simple (even though it tastes like it has simmered for hours) and calls for ingredients that most everyone has in their pantry or fridge. My family deemed it delicious calling it “a blend between something Korean and a good old-fashioned stew.” I personally love how quickly it comes together and the fact that it simmers for long-enough to meld the flavors but not so long that I am scrambling to get dinner on the table.

Oh, and sometimes I just crave a warm tangle of noodles. A craving this dish satisfies completely.

Sweet and Spicy Asian Beef Stew (adapted from Cooking Light)

2 1/4 cups water

3/4 cup low-salt beef broth

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/4 cups chopped green onions

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 small bunch of thinly sliced bok choy (or similair green of choice)

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrot

3 cups hot cooked wide rice noodles, spaghetti or soba noodles

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add beef, browning on all sides. Add broth mixture, green onions, garlic, and ginger; bring to a boil.